Cherry Blossom Tears
by yuyayori
Summary: Noragami Heian era AU. (Yatori) That’s all I will disclose. Read to find out more.
1. Chapter1-MysteriousSkies

Stars sparkled in the night sky. And every so often, one would swiftly shoot across a portion of the horizon. The sky was full of mysteries, the suspiciously luminous yet dim light radiating from the moon to the faint tint of dark orange-red on a star. It was mysterious, yet mysteriously beautiful. She didn't know what lay beyond her field of vision in that vast dark sky, but she often nurtured the thought.

Earth at night time was not as beautiful. It was dark, yes. Pretty, maybe. But the darkness on the earth was not the same as that familiar entrancing shade of bluish black. It was threatening. Menacing. Beckoning a soul to walk the wrong path. But what exactly _is _the wrong path?

Creatures danced, they walked, they crawled, they were perched on shoulders of those who were once innocent, but now were no more. They came in all shapes, all sizes, all colors. But they were all ugly. All evil. These creatures were particularly active during the night time. And she _swore_ she could hear deep, distorted voices speaking evil from their devilish mouths. But she couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was her overactive imagination from walking late at night. Perhaps.

She held her rusted, old lantern in front of her, careful to keep an eye out for danger and not to trip. She clutched a large bowl of corn, wheat, and rice tightly to her right side, with enough force that it wouldn't fall. Over her thin left shoulder slung a bag filled with food she'd bought at the market. Berries, fruits, meat, bread and premium mochi hand crafted by the priest at the local shrine. Her pink kimono fostered dirt stains, along with many splotchy, faded red stains she'd gotten from tripping over her sandals and falling on spilt raspberries.

The late air was cold, piercing her skin and causing her nose to be numb and runny. It was horrible really, she didn't have any cloths ready at home. She shivered, her teeth chattering being the only audible noise in the open night. It was eerie. Surely there would be some other noise. _Even a wolf howling in the distance is better than strict silence_, she thought to herself sheepishly. Nonetheless of her discomfort, she pressed on. She walked along with her slow pace but it seemed with every foot fall she grew increasingly apprehensive. There was a feeling. She didn't know what it was, or how it came about; but she felt it. It wasn't good. She couldn't put these feelings into coherent thoughts, but when she was able; her heart stopped momentarily.

_There's someone- or something here_.

She was frozen with fear. She craned her neck left and right to see who- or what- was accompanying her. She began to panic, with every movement, every twitch of her body only sent stronger waves of anxiety through her. She clutched the bowl until her fingers turned white, and squinted her eyes shut_. I'm going to die here…_

"What are you doing, Hiiro?" a male voice questioned from behind her. It was cold, emotionless. The tone was low, and sounded distant. It sent shivers down her spine.

She looked up and she saw her, a girl, about the age of fourteen or fifteen, crouching next to a flower. She wore a white kimono, wrapped with a red and white obi. Her hair was short, with bangs and a small cloth crown. She glowed. Not just in a metaphorical sense, but this girl emitted light. Enough to see that the ground where she had been standing had died. "Flowers are so pretty.." she started.

_"Too bad they die so easily." _

_/_

_Hi. This is my first fic lol. Sorry if it ain't good. I'm writing it cuz I want to, nonetheless I hope y'all like it. I am Ijna, nice to meet you. _


	2. Chapter2-WhereIsMyMind

She opened her eyes, slowly. Her vision was blurry and her head felt incredibly heavy. "Mom…?" She blinked again, trying to clear her vision. Her mom kneeled over her, a worried expression written all over her face.

"Oh thank the gods, Hiyori! I was so worried!"

Hiyori shifted uncomfortably, _what happened to me? _Last she remembered she'd been walking home, and then the girl..._Wasn't there a boy there too? Was there…? No…? _She remembered her anxiety, the crushing feeling of absolute impending doom taking over her. _Why did I feel like that? Was it because of the girl? Of the boy? If there even was one… Why..? _

She lifted her head to look at her mom, only for it to fall quickly back down on her fluffy pillow. The simple movement made her feel dizzy, very fatigued. Her mom patted the thick blanket, placing a cold hand on her warm forehead. "You need to rest, Hiyori! Don't move in any way where you don't feel good." Her mom scolded her. She attempted a nod, but she only twitched her chin. "Mom… What happened to me?" she inquired. Her head was heavy but her eyes were wide in curiosity, she needed to know.

"Well, I don't know exactly. Sasaki-san brought you home in critical condition, she said she found you lying motionless on the path home. You weren't moving! And for a while there, you weren't breathing. We thought you were gone, Hiyori."

Hiyori twitched her eyebrow in confusion. A wave of fatigue washed over her and she shook her head._ "What? Do I have any injuries?"_ She asked and checked by feeling her body: she didn't feel any lactations. And for some reason, after the fatigue hit her; she felt weirdly energised._ "Huh, I feel much better."_ She said aloud and sat up, getting to her feet and stretching. Her mom still knelt.

_"Mom?"_ She turned her vision towards her bed, and saw herself lying in it. Her throat went numb, not being able to utter a noise. Her mouth hung open, her eyes were wide as saucers. _"Huh..?"_ She couldn't believe her eyes, it was so overwhelming._ "Wha..?"_ Once the realization hit her, she screeched.

Her mom stayed silent, brushing the hair from Hiyori who lied in the bed. Her mom sighed and got up to walk to the kitchen, still not acknowledging Hiyori frantically yelling at her. _"Mom, please. Hear me, I'm right here, Mom, LISTEN!"_

Her mom turned towards her, bending her neck and body as if checking the room. Though she never looked directly at her, just through her. Hiyori lifted her hand to place it on her shoulder, _"Mom-"_

Her hand did not fall atop her mother's shoulder. It phased through it.

_"No...This can't be happening." _

_*_

_forgot to tell y'all in the last chap but an obi is the big bow they tie around the waist on a kimono _


	3. Chapter3-SpineChilling

The central town was bustling with people. The markets were overflowing with customers and she pitied the overwhelmed workers behind them. They frantically chopped, sorted and delivered their goods with such accuracy she couldn't help but admire. Jewelry shops and clothing were being bought and carried, and every so often people would bump into each other and drop something. "What the hell?! That was my new kanmuri! You've drenched it in mud!" One angry man would yell. "Kanmuri?! You made me drop my precious mochi!" would yell the other. However, neither were brave enough to actually fight, and would back down and mutter indecencies while walking away.

On another side of the town, kids played with broken sticks as if they were swords. One smaller boy shoved his stick into the air, yelling something she couldn't hear. The other kids reacted by falling, groaning as if they'd been struck. Hiyori giggled to herself, _how cute. _

"Hiyori! Hiiyori!" a girl shouted loudly. Hiyori looked from the ground, and saw a girl with short, light brown hair and a bright green kimono smiling at her.

"Yama-chan!" Hiyori exclaimed joyfully. She gave her friend a small embrace and giggled. Yama stepped back, a look of confusion on her face. "I thought you were like, almost dead." said Yama with a somber expression. "What happened?"

"Ah well..." Hiyori muttered. Truth to be told, she didn't really know what happened either. Her mom had told her she'd been found unconscious and not breathing, and over breakfast that morning; she found that she hadn't been awake for two days. And she swore she saw herself lying in bed, almost like...like... _ an out of body experience_. She shook her head, pushing the thought away. _It was just a dream, Hiyori. Don't get stupid ideas_.

"Ah.."The last thing she'd remembered was how terrified she'd been. She thought of the male voice, the voice that sent static shivers down her spine. And the girl. The girl in a white kimono with a cloth crown. The girl who glowed in the dark night. The girl who stood over dead flowers. **_"Flowers are so pretty..."_**

**_"Too bad they die so easily..."_**

Hiyoris head pounded, new waves of pain washing over her head felt like daggers etching deeper and deeper into her brain. She fell to the ground, groaning, gasping for air. Her friend Yama yelled for her name, and yelled for help from strangers nearby. Yama's voice was only an echo to Hiyori, an echo that got farther and farther away. Soon, her voice was so far that all Hiyori could do was let unconsciousness take over her. Before the blackness enveloped her, she heard the same, spine chilling low voice.

**_"Come, Hikki." _**

**_/_**

_A kanmuri is a hat usually worn by japanese upperclassmen. if a middle class man bought it then they're just buying it for sport. honestly i'd be mad about my mochi lmao_


	4. Chapter4-FieldOfCarnage

It was his territory. No one walked onto his territory. It was his field of carnage, his pasture of war. He slaughtered _anyone_ who tried to cross it. Blood splatters occupied his youthful cheeks and chin. He wore a dark blue yukata, torn at its sleeves. His chin length violet-black hair was tied back into a small ponytail, leaving bangs that cradled the shape of his face.

He set down his sword where the point touched the neck of a deceased man, sliced through the chest. He stared for a while, his eyes having lost its previous glow of excitement. He took a step back, and held the sword outwards. "Hiiro."

The sword lit up, and the bright light travelled until it set down, forming a girl. The girl smiled. "That was so much fun, Yato. I wish more people walked this way. Too bad it's begun to have a bad name." She giggled, and then twirled and yelled happily in a place of the dead. Yato sighed, shaking his head at the girl. "Come on, Hiiro. No need to act so unruly."

Hiiro stopped twirling and turned towards Yato, a pouty frown on her face. "But we just got done." She whined. Hiiro walked towards him, looked back toward the bodies and back at him. "You at least had fun, right?" She asked.

Yato paused for a moment, thinking. He looked down at his blood soaked hands, and to the cleanly cut bodies splaying across his field. He reveled in the satisfaction of his perfect slashes. He knew he wouldn't be judged by Hiiro. Hiiro was his family.

"Yeah" he smirked. "I had fun."

/

Hiyori gagged at the taste. It was bitter, and the texture felt grainy on her tongue. Once she swallowed it, she chugged a glass of cold water. "Eugh" she stuck her tongue out, pawing at it with her hands to get the taste off. "That stuff it disgusting." she mumbled.

Her mom laughed. "It should help the headache." She got up and lifted a pan of eggs she'd been scrambling. She got a plate and scooped them onto it, putting two slices of bread with it. She placed them on the table in front of where Hiyori sat.

"Thanks, Mom."

Hiyori placed her hands together and closed her eyes. "Thanks for the food." She prayed aloud.

She began eating, and she could feel her headache fading away and her energy coming back. _Thank the gods. _

Once finished, she got up and gathered her bag filled with journals and books. "I'm going to study kanji." She said as she walked out the door. Her mom smiled. "Okay, but please be careful, Hiyori!" She yelled, "Don't walk through places you're unfamiliar, and please pick up some fruits on your way back!"

"Yes, mother." Hiyori replied.

/

lol I really had no idea how to end this chapter. I was just going to make the segment with yato one chapter but i thought that was way too short for one chapter. So I thought I could add what I was going to use in chapter 5 here, and just sorta go with the flow lol cuz that's sorta what I do. anyhoo

Have a good day! 

-Ijna


	5. Chapter5-YatoGami

Her journaling had been a success. She'd learned many new kanji and felt her confidence building with how well she understood. _Maybe I'll be a scholar_, she thought to herself, snickering.

She used her journals to write new kanji she learned, and she hoped one day it would be full to the brim, like a dictionary. She let out a grateful sigh, walking throughout her small town's busy paths. She made her way to the fruit market, and bowed to the worker. "Hi," she began. "May I have a bowl of raspberries?"

The worker nodded enthusiastically, gathering a wooden bowl and running to fill it. He came back smiling, setting the bowl in front of her, wrapped with leaves to keep it from spilling. "That'll be 250 traisen, please."

Hiyori nodded, and pulled out a small, pocket sized cloth bag filled with coins. She counted out 250, and handed it to him. "Thank you for business, Hiyori-San!"

She bowed once again, taking the raspberries and carrying them securely under her arm. She stopped by the jewelry shop, and marveled at the beauty of the accessories. She took the edge of a necklace dangling from a complex hanger used to suit all jewelry types. It was a shiny metal necklace with a blue diamond-like gem, one that almost looked as if it glowed.

She stared at it for a while, and looked beneath it to see the price. She hiccuped from shock. _Wow, 2,500 traisen*.._.

She sighed, disappointed at the expensive piece of jewelry she couldn't have. But once the thought hit her, she swatted own hand. _Don't think like that, Hiyori! You have many great things!_

She released the necklace, beginning to walk away from the market when something out of the corner of her eye stopped her in her tracks. It wasn't really what she _saw _that stopped her, it was what she _felt. _

It was familiar. Strikingly so, to the feeling she had _that_ night. Only this time it was less aggressive, less soul fracturing. She was still uneasy, yet not terrified.

She spun around, looking here and there to see if someone would pop up. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, but she searched anyway.

_What is this feeling? I feel like I know someone here, yet there are only strangers surrounding me. _

She continued scanning the town, searching for an unknown answer. And that's when her gaze fell upon _him_.

A young man, looking to be barely twenty, wearing a blue yukata walking in the crowd. He carried fruits and vegetables, and wore his hair up. The man looked over at a booth, and swiftly picked up wood presumably for a fire.

_Did he just...steal that? _

She continued staring at the man, observing his delinquent behavior. She realized then, no one else had noticed him.

She stood confused for a moment, but her confusion didn't last long as it was quickly replaced with fear.

The man looked up at her, careless at first, but then his eyes became wide from shock.

She looked away, trembling. She began to walk hastily away, trying to get on the path home as quickly as possible. She didn't really know how, but she felt the boys presence get closer to her, and it only made her increasingly fearful.

She quickened her pace, tightening her grip on the bowl of raspberries out of fear. _Kami-sama, please spare me_.

She felt a hand on her wrist, and it forcibly pulled to make her twist around, facing the man she'd been avoiding.

_"__You."_ He said, venom dripping from his voice. Hiyori gulped out of fear, but then took a closer look at his eyes. His eyes were azure blue, cold, and murderous. But when she took a closer look, she saw beyond that layer. _Soft. _

"I am Iki Hiyori." She said, managing to keep her voice fairly steady. "Do I know you?"

The male stared at her for a moment, clearly not expecting her response. He was silent, his eyes traveling her expression and body as if looking for something. He thought of her name, _Iki Hiyori. _He shook his head. "No...I suppose not. Sorry for bothering you." He muttered, and began to walk away.

_How is she still alive? _He questioned to himself.

"Wait!" The girl called out, closing the distance between the two. He turned to face her again, the close proximity intimidating him. "What?"

"What's your name?"

Yato stumbled, almost tripping over himself. He had _not _been expecting that one. He quickly regained his posture and put on an emotionless expression. "I am Yatogami," he began.

"A god of war."

/

Traisen was the currency used during late heian era in japan. i don't know it's exact value so i equated it to modern day japanese yen.


	6. Chapter6-EvilCreatures

_Psh, god of war my ass._

Hiyori walked on the trail home. It was sunny, which varied greatly from the cloudy, almost stormy morning. Earlier, the atmosphere of the town had been dark, it seemed like gloom had been lurking over it. It was during that time she met Yatogami, or Yato, she assumed. Because she couldn't believe he was a god _that _easily_. _She wanted proof.

Hiyori had always believed in Gods. Such as Lord Tenjin, Bishamonten, Ebisu, and Okuninushi. There were even local shrines dedicated to other, more minor, local gods. But surely, if Yato, or "Yatogami" as he had said, were actually a god, wouldn't she have heard about him?

Hiyori shifted the bag of books on her shoulder and the raspberries under her arm. Her sandals clicked against the dry path, kicking up flakes of dust as she walked.

_If I prayed, to this so called "Yatogami" would he grant my wish? How can I possibly prove something like this?_

Hiyori continued walking down the path to her home. Once she was there, she set the raspberries delicately on the wooden table in the kitchen. "Mom!" Hiyori called. "I'm home with the raspberries!"

Hiyori's mom came running into the kitchen crying and hugging Hiyori "Hiyori, thank the gods you're alright!" She screamed through her tears.

"Huh?" She tilted her head, trying to calm her mom down. "Why wouldn't I be alright?"

"There's been a murder, said it was a young girl with long brown hair. I thought it was you! I was so scared." explained her mother, balancing her breathing while wiping her cheeks and eyes.

_A murder? In town? While I was in town? How come I didn't know about this?! _

"But how? There were no screams or anything... I never saw anyone rushing in a panic..."

_In fact, _Hiyori reflected, _It was quite the opposite. Slow and gloomy. _

_"_That's the thing." Her mother replied. "Once they found her, the samurai* had said there had been no evidence of struggle. And when they questioned neighbors, they'd said they heard no screaming. Now the small town is in hot debate over whether it's a person or an evil spirit."

_An evil spirit. _

Hiyori thought of Yatogami, and his cold eyes that seemed to be void of emotion. She remembered the girl, who'd been smiling over dead flowers. "_Flowers are so pretty, too bad they die so easily." _She had said.

Once Hiyori really pondered it, the phrase gave her a feeling of edginess. _Now that I think about it, that's a really creepy thing to say. _

_"_Who made the statement that it was an evil spirit?" Inquired Hiyori.

Her mom looked back at her from looking away, her frightened eyes trembling slightly. "The priest at Lord Bishamontens shrine."

_"Oh" _was all Hiyori could say. She huffed and decided to go out, leaving abruptly without saying goodbye. She could hear her mom saying her name, but she didn't care.

_I need answers. _

Hiyori ran out, hopping from one place to another, surprised at her newfound agility. _Must be the adrenaline. _She gave herself speed by pushing from tree to ground, and she felt lighter than she'd ever been.

_"_**Look...one of...us...lets...her...lets ... take ...her." **

Hiyori looked up and saw a giant ugly blob above her. It was littered with eyes that wiggled. _Those things... _She remembered the night, she'd seen them walking home for just a second. _What are they? _

The ugly blob stretched itself and swung at her, and she narrowly dodged and missed her footing onto the ground. She fell harshly, but she got up and took off in a sprint.

_That thing is gonna kill me! _

She kept running but her luck ran out and she tripped, hitting her head on the hard earth. _Agh..._

She felt something wrap around her foot, and when she looked she saw the aquamarine creature wrap itself around her ankle, pulling her in. She struggled, kicking her feet as hard as she could to try and escape. She tried gripping the ground, hoping the tension would make the creature release her.

"_Someone help! Please help me, Please! Someone! HELP ME, Yatogami!" _It was a desperate attempt, but she had tried it. The monster still sucked her in, and when she for sure thought she was going to die, she heard an ugly, distorted groan. She felt someone grab her hand, and begin running.

"Come on!" shouted the voice. "Run!"

She got up and ran equal to his pace, shocked of who was with her. _Yatogami..._

_"_Over here!" He heard him yell, and saw him running towards a shrine, _"Wha...?" _She hesitated.

_"Do you wanna die?! Then, Come. Here!" _

She ran to the shrine, diving into it before the creature could catch her with its huge mouth. It lingered for a moment, uttering sounds that would make any normal person want to die; before leaving as if they'd never been there.

Hiyori's breath was uneven, as she kept forgetting to breath and gasping as she remembered. She held her head between her hands, her mind was on overdrive.

"Hiyori-san. Hiyori. Iki Hiyori. Gods, you're an interesting one. This is the second time you've bothered me today" Yato spoke, snapping her out of her panic. Hiyori turned towards him, a fierce determination in her eyes that held an essence of fear. "Can you please tell me what in the _hell _that was?! And what in the _hell _are you?!"

Yato sighed, leaning back on the steps of tenjin's shrine. "That ugly thing? A phantom. Really bad news. They will try to kill you. Anyways. Me? I'm a god, like I told you. Now tell me, what are you, Hiyori-san?"

_Huh? What am I? Isn't that obvious? "I'm a human, of course!" _She retorted sassily.

Yato smirked and raised a brow. "Are you sure about that?" He teased, pointing to something behind her.

Hiyori brought her gaze behind her, and saw what seemed to be a slightly transparent but clearly visible pink tail that followed her. "Eh?! What the hell is that?!"

She swatted it, trying to make it go away. She even pulled at it, but it turned out, it was sensitive and it hurt. _So that's how it is huh. I have a tail. But why?_

_"But wh-"_

_"_I need to get back to my home. And you need to get back to your body. I'll escort you, let's go." He interrupted abruptly. He got up up and pulled Hiyori to her feet. _Back to my body...? "Wait-" _

"Let's _go." _He insisted, and she gave in, walking out with him. She pouted, taking back her hand and folding it in her arms.

_He smells...nice. _

_/_

_In this chapter, by saying "samurai" i am referring to those similar to police in the heian era. _


	7. Chapter7-Slaughter

Yato leaned against the purifying water pool of an abandoned shrine, scooping handfuls in his hand and pouring them on his neck. He slid down it to where he sat, a cough nagging at his throat. Hiiro observed him curiously. "What's with you, Yato?" She questioned, lowering herself to put a hand across Yato's forehead. "I'm fine," Yato croaked. "I had a run in with a phantom while getting dads stupid groceries."

Hiiro giggled and helped him up, and he stood and shook his shoulders. "Something doesn't feel right. I think a storm might be brewing nearby." Yato said calmly, Hiiro nodded. "It does feel that way, doesn't it?" Yato blew it off, shrugging.

"Eh, whatever. It's not our problem as of right now."

Yato jumped down from the pool of water, and waved to Hiiro. "Stay here and keep an eye out for worshippers. I'm going to take a walk."

"Wait. Don't. If there really is a storm brewing we need to stay together." Hiiro warned with a frown. She jumped off and followed after Yato. "Why don't we play?"

Yato turned away from her, lost in thought for a while. He didn't snap out of it until Hiiro called his name. "Yaboku!" She shouted frustratingly, her eyes knitted in annoyance. Once she saw he was snapped out of it, she let herself soften. "What is going on inside that wonderful mind of yours?"

Yato stood motionless. He didn't respond, he didn't even look toward her.

"Hiiro." He spoke menacingly, a low tone that he _never _used with his shinki. He continued.

"I don't want to hear that name come out of your mouth _ever _again. You hear me? If it does I'll scar your mouth so badly you won't be able to speak."

Hiiro took a step back, but narrowed her eyes at Yato. "Is that so? And how would you do that?" She pressed.

Her bravery annoyed Yato, who was still turned away. He slowly turned, and used his calamitous powers to his will.

He looked Hiiro directly in the eyes, willing his own internal calamities to come to the surface through his eyes and pass them to hers. He didn't use this ability often, but it was handy when he wanted a clean job.

He could sense her writhing beneath his stare, unable to move. "_Don't test me." _He threatened.

Yato was snapped out of his anger when he heard a voice calling. "Magatsukami! Please, Come Forth!"

He walked over to the abandoned shrine he'd been at moments before, and saw that in front of it was a young man. He wore a green yukata and looked to be in his late teens, his hair light brown and tied loosely close to his neck.

"What is it you ask of me?" Yato said coldly, nudging the boy with his foot. He stepped back up and leaned against the purifying pool, so that he looked down upon the spirit bowing before him.

"Lady Bishamon, she's been blighted" he cried, his head on top of his hands. "Our entire clan has gone insane, they've begun fighting, pinning blame and have begun killing each other, and it's killing my master." He explained, sobs breaking into his words.

"Get to the point."

The boy sobbed and forced his eyes shut. "I-." He sniffled and took in a large, shaky breath. "S-Save my master. Please k-kill my entire clan."

"Are you sure? You seem hesitant." Yato responded. The boy cried out in reply.

"Aw, would you look at that. A boy wants his entire clan slaughtered. How _disgraceful." _Taunted Hiiro, smirking at the poor boy who only whined in reply. Yato glared at her, then focused back to the boy. "You got money?"

The boy gasped, and sunk his head lower. "I-I don't, but please..." he begged. Hiiro's smirk grew. "Well you _do _have a name. How about being a Nora for a little while?" She proposed teasingly. She bent down to get a clearer look at the boy. "I'm sure you'd make a _fine _vessel for Yato."

The boy quivered violently as if he were freezing, and barely managed to choke out words. "N-No...I-I c-can't p-please..." His tears soaked the dry ground beneath him.

Yato exhaled profusely. _He's desperate._

Yato stood, gathering himself and glided down the steps. He stepped just before the boy, towering over his bowed position. "What is your name?"

The boy sat up slowly, his eyes sparkled with hope. "K-Kazuma. My vessel is chouki."

"Get to your feet, Kazuma" Yato ordered, and motioned for Hiiro to follow. "Come, Hikki."

Yato faced Kazuma, gripping the handle on his sword. "_Are you doing this without pay out of the kindness of your heart, or of desire to cut down an entire clan?" _Asked Hiiro inside of Yato's head_. _He rolled his eyes,_ 'Out of kindness of my heart, of course!' _He shouted back to her mentally. But he had to admit, he'd never killed an entire clan of a major gods' shinki before; and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't the slightest bit excited.

"Kazuma, take me to your clan."

/

Magatsukami- japanese for god of calamity.


End file.
